Our Next Chapter
A Safe Place
to Start Again
Rainbow Place is opening a year round, 24 hour Young Adult Shelter for people ages 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County. Together with our community, we are creating a place where young people can find safety today and hope for tomorrow.
Targeted opening Fall 2027
LGBTQ+ youth have a
120%
higher risk of reporting homelessness than their non-LGBTQ+ peers.
As of December 2025 Montgomery County, MD public schools had
1,444
unstably housed students. 469 of these were in high school.
Between 2022 and 2023, the number of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness increased by
15%
(4,613 more youth)
Youth with less than a high school diploma or GED had a
346%
higher risk of homelessness than their peers who completed high school.
The mission that started in 1982 is growing
For more than 40 years, Rainbow Place has provided emergency shelter for women experiencing homelessness. Now we are taking the next step. The new Rainbow Place Young Adult Shelter will be a safe, welcoming home for young adults ages 18 to 24, open every hour of every day. This is not a departure from our mission. It is our mission, growing.
What the shelter will provide
More than a bed. A foundation to build a future upon.
Around the clock safety
Safe housing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No one is ever told to try again tomorrow.
Job and life skills
Job readiness and life skills support so young adults can move toward independence.
Meals and daily essentials
Nourishing meals and the everyday support that makes rest and recovery possible.
A welcoming place
Every young adult who comes to us is met with dignity, compassion, and respect.
Case management
One-on-one guidance and counseling to help each guest find a path toward stability.
A path forward
Connections to housing and long term resources that turn a hard moment into a fresh start.
Here When It Matters Most
18 - 24
The ages we will serve.
24/7/365
Always open, all year.
40+
Years of trusted care in Montgomery County.
30
beds for young adults
in crisis.
Safety is where everything else becomes possible
Young adulthood is one of the most pivotal chapters in a person's life. For those facing homelessness, a stable place to sleep is only the beginning. With safety, a young person can hold a job, stay in school, reconnect with the people who support them, and build a healthier future.
That is why the Young Adult Shelter will be open around the clock, every day of the year. Because the young people of our community deserve a door that is always open.
Crisis does not keep office hours. A young adult with nowhere to go at 2 a.m. should never have to wait until morning to be safe."
Today
We provide emergency shelter for women experiencing homelessness, as we have since 1982.
tomorrow
We are opening a year round, 24 hour shelter for young adults ages 18 to 24, and expanding our women's shelter toward around the clock care.
always
Everyone who comes to us is met with dignity, safety, and a real path forward. That will never change.
Help us open the doors
This shelter will not exist because of one organization. It will exist because a community chose to invest in young people who deserve another chance. There is a place for you in this story.
Ways to help:
-
Give. Every gift helps keep a door open, all year long.
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Volunteer. Be part of the next chapter from the very first day.
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Connect. Know a space, a partner, or a major donor? Introduce us.
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Advocate. Share this story. The more who know, the sooner we open.